How Are
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Our History
The Republican Party held its first official meeting on July 6, 1854. Coincidentally, our current president, George W. Bush, was also born on July 6 though not in the year 1854. The Hancock County Republican Committee held its first meeting in 1854. The Republican Party is called the "Grand Old Party" in spite of the fact that the Democratic Party is older.
The United States was changing in the mid nineteenth century. The west was opened to settlement and the economy of the North was becoming less agrarian and more industrial. Slavery had been a divisive issue since the founding of the nation. Many people felt that the booming industrial economy, new industrial and transportation technology and cheap labor in the form of new immigrants from Europe made slavery obsolete by the 1850s. Southern states with large plantations resisted trends to diminish dependency on slavery much less abolish slavery in spite of the fact that only a small number of southerners held slaves. However, pressure to abolish slavery was mounting in the North, in some parts of the South and in the new western territories. Compromises were made as new territories were established. For example, the Missouri Compromised admitted Missouri as a slave state in 1821. This admission was balanced by the previous creation of the State of Maine on March 15, 1820 as a free state carved from the northern portion of the State of Massachusetts. Territories north of the Missouri state line in the Louisiana Territory were to be free of slavery.
By the Compromise of 1850, sentiments for the abolition of slavery were very strong. This compromise arose from California's request to enter the Union as a free state. The slave states saw their institutions threatened once more. The abolitionist cause was strengthened. Congress attempted to satisfy everyone with a series of compromises including strengthening the Fugitive Slave Act. These compromises proved ineffective with the outbreak of the Civil War a decade later.
The extent to which the national government and the states had sovereignty was another divisive issue that peaked in the mid nineteenth century. This issue, which is still debated, is called, "states rights." The United States was governed under the Articles of Confederation until 1789. This confederacy gave so much power to the states that the national government became ineffective. The present constitution establishing a strong national government superceded the Articles of Confederation. Many people, particularly in the South, preferred a confederacy. The states rights issue continued to be debated under the new federal government with the South favoring more sovereignty for the states.
Among the political parties in the early 1850s were the Democrats and the Whigs. The Democrats embraced the political philosophies of Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. All the presidents before Jackson were well-bred and well-educated. Jackson was the first "common man" president. He changed the Democratic Party to be less responsive to the elite and more concerned with the plight of the lower social classes. Some Democrats objected to Jackson's policies and with others formed a new party called "Whigs" - a name borrowed from the British conservative party. The Whigs took advantage of the antagonisms over slavery and states rights to promote their cause. Another minor party, the Free Soil Party, was organized in opposition to slavery in the western territories.
By 1854, the Democratic Party was split on the issues of slavery and states rights. The northern Democrats were generally anti-slavery and favored a strong central government. When a debate arose over the extension of slavery to the Kansas and Nebraska territories, many of these Democrats met with Whigs and members of the Free Soil Party to solidify opposition to slavery. They formed a new party, the Republican Party. The name of this new party was taken from the name of Jefferson's supporters who called themselves the "Jefferson Republicans." The Jefferson Republican Party had become the Democratic Party by the 1830s under the influence of Andrew Jackson. The new 1854 Republicans saw themselves as members of the old party of the Jefferson Republicans.
The Republicans ran John Fremont for president in 1856. However, Fremont carried only eleven states. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican president. Lincoln's election led to the secession of the southern states giving control of the United States Government to the Republican Party until well after the civil war.
The abolitionist position of the Republican Party attracted many Mainers. The Republican Party dominated Maine politics from 1854 to 1954. Since 1954, the economic development and immigration of other New Englanders into southern Maine has increased the influence of the Democratic Party in Maine. The number of registered Democrats in Maine is greater than the number of registered Republicans. However, the number of voters in Maine not affiliated with a party outnumbers either the number of registered Republicans or Democrats. The number of registered Republicans in Hancock County outnumber the number of registered Democrats.
The Republican and Democratic parties have broadened their base of support
over the years. Members of all social classes can be found in both parties.
However, the perception that the Republican Party is the party of the
elite and the Democratic Party is the party of the common man is still
widely held. Back to top.
Traditionally, the Republican Party supports limiting government involvement in business, reduction in government spending, lower taxes, conservative social policies and a strong national defense. These positions have little to do with the party’s abolitionist roots but evolved over a period of time. Back to top.
The party conducts business through caucuses, conventions and committees. Biennial municipal caucuses appoint local committee officers, local committee members, delegates to the state convention and voting members of the county committee. All registered Republicans attending their local caucus can vote on all matters brought before their municipal caucus. Local officers include at least a chairperson and a secretary. Other officers may be elected as necessary.
The state convention delegates elected at the local caucuses hold county caucuses at the biennial state convention. These caucuses formally recognize the respective county committees and their voting members, nominate county representatives to the (congressional) district committee and nominate county representatives to the state committee. A county state committeeman and committeewoman are nominated to represent the county on the state committee. In addition, the county caucus will nominate a state committee person at-large for every 10,000 voters, in excess of the first 10,000, enrolled as Republicans in that county. The entire convention elects the state committee. County chairpersons will be elected at subsequent county committee meetings after the general election. These county chairpersons will also be voting members of the state committee. Therefore, each county has at least three representatives on the state committee.
Voting members of the Hancock County committee vote for their respective towns. Any registered Republican can attend and participate in county committee activities. However, only voting members or their proxies can cast a formal vote in the county committee. A Hancock County municipality is allowed one vote for each 500 persons recorded in the last federal census. In addition, the municipal chairpersons are voting members of the county committee. Therefore, a town with a population of 2000 persons will be allowed to cast up to five votes in the county committee meetings. Four persons elected by the municipal caucus plus the municipal chairperson hold this power of vote. However, any of these people can transfer their power of vote to any other registered Republican in their town. This system is intended to ensure that no single municipality dominates the county committee. Bylaws of other county committees may differ from those of the Hancock County Republican Committee.
The various committees deal with elections and issues at their level. County committees tend to be most active, often meeting monthly. Most of the work performed by the county committees concerns county elected offices, county issues and representatives to the state legislature from the county. The state committee is concerned with statewide or multi-county issues and elections. Local committees and district committees tend to be less active.
The number of municipal committees in each county depends upon the number
of municipalities in that county that hold caucuses. Ideally, all municipalities
should hold caucuses. However, many towns do not caucus and, therefore,
are not directly represented on any committee. Back
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Funding
All activities of the Hancock County Republican Committee are funded by
contributions to the committee and through fundraising activities sponsored
by the Committee. All funds are used to support the purpose of the committee.
If you wish to make a contribution, please send a check or money order made out to "The Hancock County Republican Committee" to the following address:
Hancock County Republican Committee
Post Office Box 5407
Ellsworth, Maine 04605-5407
Please include your name, address and occupation for reporting purposes per state law. We CAN NOW accept contributions from corporations. Please make your contribution by check or money order only. Contributions are NOT tax deductible. Thank you. Back to top.